FBI works to stop terrorist threats in Maryland 25 years after 9/11 attacks
A Columbia man who investigators say planned to join ISIS was arrested at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in October 2024 following a years-long investigation into his activities and online communications.
Michael Teekaye, 22, was arrested as he prepared to travel to Africa, according to the FBI.
"I was actually the one who put the handcuffs on Teekaye at the airport," said Special Agent Thomas Szymanski with the FBI.
Szymanski said that moment on Oct. 14, 2024, was the culmination of years of investigation.
"I think the amount of fear that Michael Teekaye was able to instill in a wide number of people while not even conducting the attack really was something notable," Szymanski said.
But in this case, the alleged would-be terrorist was also a neighbor, classmate and friend.
Teekaye grew up in Columbia, Maryland, in a Christian household.
Like many people his age, he went to school and worked at a restaurant.
But investigators say that online, Teekaye was becoming increasingly immersed in ISIS ideology. They say he watched ISIS beheading videos, communicated with ISIS operatives online and made posts emulating ISIS propaganda videos.
One Instagram post shows him practicing with an assault rifle. The post was captioned, "POV: Dhib Inghamasi," an Arabic term investigators say refers to a suicide fighter.
He also bought a machete and sent a photo of himself holding it to an undercover agent.
And investigators say this behavior did not start in 2024.
At just 16 years old, Teekaye had his first meeting with the FBI after making concerning comments about idolizing terrorist leaders.
Investigators and his family tried to intervene.
"Unfortunately, despite a lot of attempts at intervention, he made the choices that he did to go down this road," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Hoffman.
Hoffman prosecuted his case this past July.
She said his desire to join ISIS was only part of the threat.
"His Plan B if he couldn't make it overseas was to carry out an attack here on American soil," Hoffman said. "He was very defiant, he was resolute, he was clearly very inculcated into ISIS' ideology."
Hoffman and Szymanski said tips about potential terrorist threats come into their offices nearly every day.
Every one has to be taken seriously.
"We're lucky that we have law enforcement that are really working around the clock to identify threats early," Hoffman said.
They vow to continue that work today, tomorrow and 15 years from now, when Teekaye is scheduled to finish his federal prison sentence.
They say they're already looking ahead to the day he gets out — and to the promise he made after his arrest to follow through with an attack when he is released.
"The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force works day in and day out to make sure that Americans are safe and secure in their homes, both domestically and abroad, so we're going to do our very best that Michael doesn't make good on his promise to do something when he gets out," Szymanski said.
